1. MABE Services & 2018 Legislative Priorities & Positions
Madame Chair and members of the committee, I am ___________________ and on behalf of the Maryland Association of Boards of Education greatly appreciate this opportunity to brief the committee on MABE’s legislative priorities and positions.
Presented to the House Ways and Means Committee
January 23, 2018

2. MABE’s Mission
MABE’s mission is to provide members with a strong collective voice, and to support local school board governance through professional development, advocacy, and member services.
MABE’s mission is to provide members with a strong collective voice, and to support local school board governance through professional development, advocacy and member services.

3. MABE Programs & Services
Professional Development – MABE provides the skills and knowledge required for our members to become effective leaders.
Advocacy – MABE represents all 24 local boards on legislative and regulatory matters before the General Assembly, State Board, and federal government.
Legal and Policy Services – MABE provides legal assistance, including amicus briefs, and policy training and alerts.
Insurance Programs – MABE manages two member owned Trusts, set up to handle Property/Casualty and Workers' Compensation Pooled Self-Insurance.
MABE provides the skills and knowledge required for our members to become effective leaders engaged in governance that promotes excellent public schools for all of Maryland's children.
We serve our members by being advocates for public schools, for local control of education, and for leadership and legal authority of school boards.
And we provide value-added services that enhance the efficiency and capability of school system governance, management and operations.

4. Legislative Positions & Policy Statements
2018 Legislative Priorities
Local Governance
Special Education
Student Discipline
Charter Schools
Student Health
Testing & Curriculum
School Safety & Security
State Education Funding
Employee Relations
School Facilities Funding
Unfunded Mandates
Vouchers & Funding
Federal Funding & Policy
Local Funding & MOE
Each year MABE updates a set of continuing resolutions and legislative positions.
These principles direct MABE’s legislative priorities and positions on bills introduced during the legislative session, and regulatory and policy issues arising throughout the year.

5. MABE’s 2018 Legislative Priorities
MABE supports continued governance autonomy for local boards of education to set education policy and school budgets; and opposition to unfunded mandates;
Supports full State funding for Maryland’s outstanding public schools;
Supports robust State funding for school construction and renovation projects; and
Supports sustained local government investments in education.
MABE supports continued governance autonomy for local boards of education to set education policy and school budgets; and opposition to unfunded mandates;
Supports full State funding for Maryland’s outstanding public schools;
Supports robust State funding for school construction and renovation projects; and
Supports sustained local government investments in education.
These priorities are evident as MABE advocates on the state operating and capital budgets, and before this committee on a wide array of education policy issues.

6. Hot Education Topics in 2018
Kirwan Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education
Knott Commission on 21st Century School Facilities
State Implementation of the Federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
MABE has established special Committees on the Kirwan and Knott Commissions, and on ESSA, to provide a forum for our members to review, analyze, discuss and recommend MABE positions.

7. Local Board Governance
Supports local board governance of education policy and administration, and believes that this principle is fundamental to an effective system of public education that promotes high standards of academic and fiscal accountability.
Supports adequate and equitable state funding for mandated programs and policies, and that local board governance autonomy and flexibility are respected.
Opposes executive, legislative, and agency actions and proposals which would have the effect of reducing or circumscribing local board authority.
Local governance authority of boards of education in Maryland and throughout the nation is often challenged by state, federal, and private sector initiatives.
In Maryland, when state initiatives impose new requirements on local school systems, the legislature and State Board have typically engaged in a collaborative process.
MABE appreciates the strong historical record of the General Assembly and this committee in recognizing and supporting the governance role of local boards.

8. State Education Funding
Supports increased funding for all students and targeted increases for prekindergarten, English learners, low-income students, and students receiving special education services.
Supports full funding for public education in the FY 2019 State Budget, including the Geographic Cost of Education Index (GCEI), inflation factor, and hold harmless grants, to support the successful administration and operation of local school systems and education of over 870,000 public school students.
APA Adequacy Study concluded a $2 billion shortfall in state funding for education based on current academic standards.
Kirwan Commission to recommend increased funding for all students, targeted per pupil increases, universal PreK, enhanced CTE programs, more individualized tutoring, and significant increases in teacher pay.
MABE Supports increased funding for all students and targeted increases for prekindergarten, English learners, low-income students, and students receiving special education services.
The APA Adequacy Study concluded a 2 billion dollar shortfall in state funding for education based on current academic standards.
The Kirwan Commission is recommending increased funding for all students, targeted per pupil increases, universal Pre-K, enhanced CTE programs, more individualized tutoring, and significant increases in teacher pay.
Any legislative proposals to increase the scope of mandated education programs must be accompanied by funding increases.
MABE looks forward to participating in the legislature’s efforts to fully fund public education, including the identification of funding reforms and sources of revenue.

9. School Facilities Funding
Supports a state funding level of at least $350 million for school construction and renovation projects for FY 2019 to provide the State’s share of approved projects to build, renovate, and improve public school facilities.
Supports improvements to the state school construction program, including those recommendations of the 21st Century School Facilities Commission which are consistent with MABE’S adopted resolutions and legislative positions.
Opposes any State mandated school sizes or prototypes, or other proposals which limit local authority over school facility design, construction, maintenance, procurement or operations.
The Knott Commission on 21st Century School Facilities has adopted a series of funding and policy recommendations which MABE strongly supports.
Key recommendations include:
A statewide facility assessment using a uniform integrated data system; and continually updating this assessment.
Requiring local school systems to report annually on their preventive maintenance schedules and the preventive maintenance measures they have carried out on all major functional systems in each of their school buildings; and
A short-term funding goal of at least 345 million dollars; to be increased to 400 million dollars after Fiscal Year 2019; and determined by the results of the facility needs assessment, which may result in a higher goal.

10. Maintenance of Effort
Supports sustained local government investments in education.
Supports the maintenance of effort law enacted in 2012 because it provides for a legally enforceable minimum amount of local funding, allows for multiple exceptions and waivers, and provides reasonable state and local mechanisms to increase education funding.
Opposes legislation to provide additional school budget authority to local governments or weaken the maintenance of effort law.
MABE supports sustained local government investments in education and the maintenance of effort law enacted in 2012 – and MABE greatly appreciates this committee’s support and Delegate Kaiser’s leadership in passing this legislation.

11. Special Education
Supports increased state and federal funding and resources to support high quality special education programs and services.
Opposes legislation to mandate expanded special education services beyond federal requirements.
Local boards of education place a very high priority on ensuring that students receive high quality special education programs and instruction that meet the unique needs of every student.
MABE does not believe that the current levels of federal or state special education funding are adequate. Therefore, MABE is supporting a significant increase per pupil funding weight for students receiving special education services.
MABE certainly appreciates this committee’s role in leading change by passing legislation to inform parents of procedural safeguards, translate IEPs, require parental consent for certain IEP team decisions, and comprehensive studies of special education policies and services.

12. Charter Schools
Supports local control and authority over public schools, including public charter schools, and supported passage of the Public Charter School Act of 2003, and secured amendments to the Charter School Improvement Act of 2015, to ensure that Maryland’s charter school law is aligned with this principle.
Opposes legislation which would diminish the local board's role as sole chartering and oversight authority, or otherwise weaken the charter school law’s academic or fiscal accountability requirements.
MABE supports the role of high performing charter schools and appreciates the General Assembly’s support for local board governance authority and accountability for all public schools, including public charter schools.

13. Vouchers & Nonpublic School Funding
Opposes private and parochial school vouchers, tuition tax credit programs, or other proposals that would threaten public school funding and public control over the use of public dollars.
Supports strong public accountability measures for every public dollar spent, including public dollars dedicated or diverted to private and parochial schools.
Supports the repeal of the BOOST program enacted in the State Budget Bill since 2016.
Opposes legislation mandating that public schools accommodate private or home schooled students in academic or extracurricular programs offered in the public schools.
The Governor’s proposed State Budget would increase BOOST funding from 5 million dollars to 9 million dollars.
MABE appreciates the legislature’s support for enhanced accountability for the BOOST voucher program, and the rejection of requests for any significant funding increase.

14. Testing & Curriculum
Supports local decision-making authority in developing curriculum and assessments, in conjunction with the State Board of Education.
Supports adequate state funding to support mandated assessment programs, including the PARCC tests and other state assessments such as college and career readiness assessments.
Opposes any efforts to legislate curriculum or testing matters inconsistent with MABE’s adopted resolutions and legislative positions.
In 2017, legislation passed to require procedures for mutual agreements with teachers unions on a limited amount of time that may be devoted to federal, state, and locally mandated assessments.
Local boards and school system staff are fully engaged in the procedures required by this new law.
As the Kirwan Commission appears likely to recommend a new statewide assessment, the PISA –(Programme for International Student Assessment), student testing time and purposes will continue to be hot topics.

15. School Safety & Security
Supports federal, State, and local government funding for local public school safety programs, facility upgrades, and the wide array of behavioral health and public safety services provided by other public and private entities, which are essential to maintaining safe and secure schools and access to an excellent education for all of Maryland's students.
Supports increased state and local funding for programs addressing gangs, drugs, human trafficking and the impact of systemic violence in communities, schools, and our students’ lives.
Supports local discretion to adopt programs and policies to maintain and improve school safety and security.
For MABE, and each local board, safety and security in public schools is extremely important for the protection of students and staff, as well as necessary to providing environments conducive to teaching and learning.

16. Student Discipline
Supports local flexibility to create and enforce consistent and fair disciplinary standards in order to respond to infractions of the rules committed by individual students.
Supports increased state and local funding to support restorative justice programs.
Opposes legislation or regulations that would unduly limit the authority of school administrators and boards of education to ensure the safety of all students and staff and to provide a school environment conducive to teaching and learning for all students.
In 2017, legislation passed to prohibit a child enrolled in a public prekindergarten program through second grade from being suspended or expelled from school, subject to limited exceptions.
MABE anticipates the need for additional state and local funding to meet the staffing, professional development, and facility demands imposed by the law’s new mandate for the use of restorative in-school practices.

17. Student Health & Fitness
Supports local board discretion to adopt policies and allocate resources to support improvements in student behavioral and physical health and fitness.
Supports funding and policy decisions to strengthen school meal programs to provide healthy food for all students and expand access for economically disadvantaged students.
Opposes the unfunded mandate for increased physical education instruction, including minimum minutes per week.
Local boards of education place a very high priority on providing school facilities, school meals, and programs of instruction designed to promote the physical and behavioral health and fitness of students and to prepare them to maintain a healthy lifestyle as adults.
In 2017, MABE supported the Start Talking Maryland Act to expand the existing drug education program in public schools to include a unit on heroin and opioids; require each local board to provide naloxone and authorize school personnel to administer it at every school.
Also passed in 2017, with MABE’s support, the Grab & Go Meals in High Schools legislation that allows free breakfast to be served in any part of the school.

18. Employee Relations
Supports the legitimate interests of employees to be party to decisions involving their working conditions.
Opposes “grounds for discipline” legislation to remove the authority of local boards to hear appeals in employee discipline cases.
Courts have recognized that, in setting policy, local boards must balance the legitimate and sometimes competing interests of parents and guardians, students, educational personnel, and the community, and seek advice from all key stakeholders in order to reach credible decisions.
MABE greatly appreciates the dedicated service of the thousands of educators, administrators, and support staff contributing to the high performance of Maryland’s schools on behalf of our students.
At the same time, courts have recognized that, in setting policy, local boards must balance the legitimate and sometimes competing interests of school employees and parents and guardians, students, and the community.

19. Federal Education Funding & Policy
Supports federal regulations consistent with ESSA to provide more state and local board of education flexibility in crafting student, school, and school system accountability systems.
Supports increased federal funding to states and local school systems to support the costs of implementing federally mandated programs and services.
Supports local boards of education in playing a prominent role in developing and monitoring Maryland’s participation in federal education programs.
MABE is very pleased that on January 17th, 2018, the U.S. Department of Education approved Maryland’s accountability plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
MABE supported, with amendments, the Protect Our Schools Act passed in 2017 which sets reasonable parameters for the State’s ESSA Plan.
MABE is extremely concerned at the prospect of significant federal funding cuts as proposed in the Trump Administration’s budget, and will continue to lobby Maryland’s federal delegation for full federal funding.

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Thank you legislators for your time and thank you for allowing MABE to present to your committee.